D.J. Shoemate on transferring from USC: 'It was the hardest decision of my life'

Just four years ago, Shoemate was the first high school sophomore USC ever offered. Now he is a former Trojan, having transferred to Connecticut last week.

“It was the hardest decision of my life,” said the 6-0, 220-pound, who is leaving for a chance to play tailback at UConn after mostly serving as a reserve fullback at USC.

At Servite High, Shoemate excelled at both running back and receiver, scoring 29 touchdowns as a senior while touching the ball more than 280 times. In two seasons at USC, he had two carries and two receptions.

The Register recently caught up with Shoemate to discuss why he left; the sanctions; discovering UConn; Coach Lane Kiffin; the business of college football.

Why did you transfer from USC and how hard was that decision?

“I saw a better opportunity for myself to play running back. I'm very confident in my abilities. I just really wanted to follow my dream. It was the hardest decision of my life. It was 10 times harder than committing to USC. I definitely sacrificed a lot — my friends, my family, the weather. I've detached myself emotionally. I'm going to another program where I don't know much other than what they're telling me.

"As a 16-year-old, when Coach (Pete) Carroll calls you, you want to answer with a correct response. I was living in the moment in high school. I didn't think with a business-like mindset."

What do you mean?

"I'm never afraid of competition. Competition is never an issue with me. I saw the challenge before me and took it. But when I committed to SC, nowhere did I think fullback was going to be in my future. I was recruited as an athlete. Running back and receiver is what they were telling me how they'd use me.

"Nowhere did I think fullback. But when they moved me there, I took it. It was a selfless thing. There weren't too many people on the roster that could give ‘SC the look and energy they wanted at fullback. The reality was it wasn't a passionate thing for me. I just have to move on."

How big of a factor was not having to sit out a year?

“It was a huge factor. Some situations don't work out. We get a do-over. Hit the reset button and act like nothing happened. It's a beautiful thing. For me, I felt like it was a great opportunity for me that arose. I didn't take any trips when I was in high school because I wanted to keep my word when I committed to USC."

What was your thought process once the NCAA sanctions came down?

"I'm going to look into other places and explore different options. I didn't have a bias mindset. My mindset for the most part was, I'm here to stay. I just looked into different places. I wanted to connect with people that would prepare me for the NFL.

"I have a friend on (UConn), my quarterback in high school (Johnny McEntee) and he told me their offense was similar to what we did at Servite. He told me to consider it. It really made sense to me after talking to Coach (Randy) Edsall. I just saw myself fitting in more in that offense.

Did you meet with Kiffin before leaving?

"I spoke with him last Wednesday. I talked about everything with him. I left telling Coach Kiffin I had nothing but respect for him. I just told him I felt that I liked what he was doing, what they're emphasizing and their philosophy. I didn't want to leave there with any disrespect or hard feelings with him. I was 100 percent genuine with him. We had a good relationship. He was my recruiter in high school. I just wanted to give him the utmost respect. I spoke with him when I didn't even have to.

"I couldn't just leave ‘SC after everything they've done for me. I couldn't just hop on a plane and leave. There's an appropriate way of handling that and I knew that. I wanted to be respectful in my departure. I love the school. I definitely want to come back to get my master's."

You've said several times this is a business, so I take it this was a business move for you.

"I definitely understand that this is a business. When Coach Carroll left, everyone understood it's a business. Why can it not be a business for us? We're investing so much and we're getting something out of it. Obviously, were not going to make millions of dollars by going to a different school. But we're putting ourselves in a situation to be successful and further our careers.

"It's very easy to point the finger and criticize when you don't know what's going on. But 20 years from now, you don't want to regret anything. You want to follow your heart. It's better to follow your dream than regret. I'm willing to take this risk to follow my dream and do what I love."

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